Vice President leaves Jakarta for Mecca

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla left for Saudi
Arabia on Tuesday to perform `umrah` (minor hajj ritual) and to witness
the Kabah washing procession in Mecca.

The vice president left for Saudi Arabia from Soekarno-Hatta
international airport in Cengkareng, Banten, aboard a commercial flight
of national carrier Garuda Indonesia.

Former religious affairs minister Alwi Shihab said that the vice president would focus on performing a minor hajj ritual.

He said that Jusuf Kalla`s Saudi tour was not a working visit, although
he would meet a number of Saudi businessmen and Indonesian community on
the sidelines of his visit to the Holy Land.

The vice president and entourage are scheduled to fly home on Saturday, January 26, 2008.

A number of functionaries of the Golkar party and other leaders joined
the vice president`s trip, among others, Golkar`s Secretary General
Soemarsono, Chairman of Galkar`s faction in the House Priyo Budi
Santoso and Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR) AM
Fatwa.

Jusuf Kalla is the general chairman of the Golkar party.

While in the Holy Land, the vice president will visit Mecca and Madinah.

The Saudi government has the tradition to wash and replace the Kabah veil after the hajj pilgrimage season ended.

The ceremony is usually attended by ambassadors and other representatives of friendly countries in Saudi Arabia. (*) END

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